Jeanne D'Arc
by Imperial Inquisitor
Summary: After living in seclusion for more than two thousand years, one warrior decided to once again pick her sword. Set in the midst of the 100 years war, 2000 years after the fall of the organization, when claymore and awakened brings are living among humans
1. Rise of The Pucelle

Jeanne D'Arc Chapter 1 - Rise of The Pucelle

Disclaimer: I do no own Jeanne or any other claymore characters that may appear. This story is based on the story of Joan of Arc or Jean D'Arc, with references to actual historical events of the 100 years war.  
Credit : This story is partly inspired by "Life Sucks!" by Useful Oxymoron

After the fall of the organization, the yomas were hunted to extinction by the surviving claymores, with the help of some awakened beings. The pact made between the surviving claymore and awakened beings before the fall of the organization included:

1) Destroy the organization and all yomas

2) Claymores and awakened beings who do not ratify this contract shall also be slain.

3) Following the destruction of the organization, all awakened being and claymores shall either a)blend into the human world, or b)live in seclusion, with the ultimate aim of letting the human race forget about anything to do with yomas or the organization.

4) Awakened beings are advised to consume other forms of organs or meat but if necessary, consume human organs or meat with discretion, without attracting the attention of other humans(other than the deceased)

After the great Hidden War, claymores and awakened beings began to blend into the human world, while maintaining contact with each other. They began to rediscover the joy of being simple humans but after more than two millenium one of them began to get restless... With her invincible spirit and her inhuman abilities, she decided to write a page of history to honor herself, her ex-comrades and the fallen of the hidden war.

Domremy(North Eastern France, Lorraine)

After living in the France for the past four centuries, Jeanne has developed a sense of belonging to the nation. Her present residence lies in the quite village of Domremy. Jeanne liked the village for its peace. The children lived innocently without worries and the adults lived without ambitions. All of them simply lived each day as it is, enjoying every moment they had with each other. Jeanne worked as a kitchen helper, preparing meals for the villagers each day before the villagers went for work, and preparing packed lunch so that caring wives and filial children may bring them to their man at work, and ending each day, with a pleasant dinner where all the villagers would be gathered to enjoy a meal together. In between meal times, Jeanne would sometimes make delightful deserts for the children of the village, seeing the smiles on those innocent children, Jeanne felt that all sacrifices made during the Hidden War, was worth it.

Human beings absolutely disgusted Jeanne. Without the presence of yomas as their predators, the humans began to reproduce rapidly. Without the presence of an external threat, they began to wage war among themselves for dominance. Human weaponry began to develop rapidly and Jeanne wondered when would it be that they would wipe themselves out. This village however, was a pleasant exception.

The farmland was owned by a kind man in his forties, who went by the name of Claude. Goodman Claude was a portly man, with a good sense of humour, and in many ways acted more like a father to the one hundred over folks of the village. He was a kind employer, and a good land lord, never using sefts. Instead, he hired the men in the village to work on his farm, to pay for their rent and whenever he was able to make a profit form the farm, he would use the extra money for the welfare of the villagers. He was more like a village chief than a landlord to these simple folks.

The second most important person in the village, was Frederic, the local smith. Solid and dependable, Frederic was the big brother figure to all the children of the village. He acted as their babysitter when their parents were at work, often entertaining them with captivating stories or with simple country songs, syncing them with the rhythm of his hammer. Even though most people would agree that a smithy was not a safe place for children, parents of this particular village had enough faith in Frederic to believe that the smithy was the safest place for their boys. Other than entertaining the children, Frederic also served as a mentor to the children, educating them in the values of the village, while keeping them away from the forge. Above all, Frederic was also the local bone setter, serving as one of the two physicians in the village.

The other physician of the village was naturally big sister Jeanne, who had 2000 over years of experience in herbs and human anatomy. Having spent a good number of years engaged in a war with gut-eating monsters, Jeanne has probably seen more human guts, than a whole battalion of soldiers put together. After the end of the war, Jeanne began to study medicine and began travelling the world as a physician. She secretly exhumed corpses to study the human anatomy, and began trying out various herbs on her own. Her Yoma side ensured that she would never die of poisoning this allowed her to slowly observe the effects of these drugs on her own body. Jeanne travelled the world, learning from various famed doctors and as such, she was skilled in that art of healing from various cultures, from the Greek, to the Chinese, making most diseases and injuries easily curable to her.

Death however, was incurable even to her even though it was something that she was immune to. This was the reason, why she kept her distance from Frederic. Even though most of the villagers were keen to see these two young men and women together, Jeanne knew that being too emotionally attached to any villager would davastate her should they die. Frederic was an honest man and Jeanne believed that he would make an ideal husband however being immortal meant that they were just not meant to be together. Frederic could sense her apprehension in commiting to a relationship as such, he respected her, and kept his distance from her. Jeanne instead, chose to surround herself with the girls of the village, instructing them daily, in the art of cooking and simple medicine.

Life was a simple routine for Jeanne, serene and never boring. Everyday began from the house she inherited from old Ben. Jeanne first entered this village as a roaming physician. She started off as a caretake for the dying old Ben, making the last days of his life easier. Though intimidated by her unique features the villagers slowly warmed to her, and when old Ben passed away, they simply asked her to move into his place. Seeing no reason to turn them down Jeanne began to settle comfortably into the village. Every member of the village began their day with a fresh loaf of bread and some cheese, from the local farm kitchen. The men then began their work while the women began their domestic chores. The children would flock to Jeanne and Frederic and everyday would come to an end, with dinner at the village hall.

Summer was a beautiful time in Domremy. It was Jeanne's break time in between lunch and dinner. She was out in the fields with the girls and was teaching them how to weave using dried straw. She saw that the weather was hot and decided to get some drinks and snacks for the girls. Thus she began to head back to the village. What greeted her back at the village however, was not a kindly scene.

The village was ablazed and screams of pain could be heard throughout the village. Claude was writing on the ground and Jeanne attempted to help him but she found that he was beyond help. Anguished, Jeanne quickly extended her hearing to try and find survivors. She could hear that Frederic was struggling to keep the boys safe, without hesitation, Jeanne quickly released her yoki and ran towards the smithy, but again, she was too late. She quickly dispelled her yoki and ran towards the smith. Frederic showed a look of relief when he saw Jeanne. Using his last breath, he told her, "Thank God you are alive. Jeanne, I have something that I have to tell you. I... fell in love with you, the first day I laid my eyes on you. However, it seems like you have made the right choice to keep our distance. Live well Jeanne." With that he breathed his last.

Even though Jeanne has seen countless death in her life, two years in the village has greatly humanized her. She was determined not to allow anymore deaths in the village. She rushed to the fields but when she reached there, the Englishmen had done their job. The fields were destroyed and the girls were dead. Defeated, Jeanne knelt down before the fields that had fed her for the past two years. "Dead, all of them are dead she thought. Paradise was lost" Jeanne thought to herself. Buried in grief, Jeanne did not even notice it when an englishman who was riding out of the village gave her a slash across her chest.

After the raiders left, Jeanne slowly began to rise from the ground, while using her yoki to heal her wounds. This raid has provided her the "death" she needed to move on from the village. This village however shall not be killed that easily. Jeanne decided to honor this village that has given her the happiest days of her life by etching it eternally into the annals of history. With this, she began to draw up her next identity. One who would avenge the village and honor the memories of all claymores ever existed. One who will forever go into history, by the name of Jeanne D'Arc.

With that, Jeanne slowly walked towards the local cemetery with a spade and began digging at an unnamed grave. Finally after half an hour of digging, she reached her hand in and drew out her most cherished possession, a massive claymore branded with her personal emblem. With that, she slowly walked away from the village, leaving behind her home promising herself that she would return one day.

Ok I have rewritten the chapter at the request of samurai89 and shelter. I have decided to explore a bit into Jeanne's character. She has struck me as someone who is very sentimental from the way she interacted with clare and from the way she grieved over the death of her comrades. And of course her determination is something that I would explore. Stay tuned, the new chapter 2 would be coming up soon.

To Shelter: I'm trying to improve my grammer by reading other fanfics so please be patient.


	2. Visions From God

Jeanne D'Arc Chapter 2: Visions from God

Disclaimer: I do no own Jeanne or any other claymore characters that may appear. This story is based on the story of Joan of Arc or Jeanne D'Arc, with references to actual historical events of the 100 years war.  
Credit : This story is partly inspired by "Life Sucks!" by Useful Oxymoron

Épinal(North Eastern Farnce, Lorraine)

Jeanne decided to travel simple, much like the way she used to travel as a claymore. She had no need to carry food with her. She needed very little food. Whatever she needed she could hunt. Clothes were not an issue as she did not perspire much and her yoma half ensured that she was immune to human diseases that could be caused by poor sanitation. She gathered what little money she could find, put on her hooded cloak and that was more than enough for her.

Information however, was crucial to her. She needed information on the war, political climate and local sentiments. She also needed a quick historical update. Centuries in the countryside has cut her off from information. The first thing she did was to spend two days in a local tavern, to listen to the bragging and rumblings of drunk French men. Her body's ability to expel alcohol allowed her to pretend to be drunk. From here, she understood that the war was an extended family squabble, and has taken a huge toll on the locals. Most of the locals were supportive of the House of Valois and saw the Plantagenets as British invaders. After deciding that she had enough information from this musty inn, she decided to leave of the war front.

Vaucouleurs garrison(North Eastern Farnce, Lorraine)

Jeanne spent one crucial evening eavesdropping on the commanders in Vaucouleurs garrison. Using her heightened senses as a claymore, she managed to hear every detail of the conversation going on in the command tentage, without even being in the camp. The only difficult part, was to filter whatever the rest of the soldiers were talking about. Good thing, it was late and night discipline demanded all soldiers to refrain from senseless chatter and to keep their noise level to a minimum.

"Your Excellency, the seige at Orleans is holding, there were no significant attempt made at any of the outlying fortresses after the disaster at Saint Loup."

"Any news of reinforcements?" The nobleman inquired.

"No, your excellency the Dauphin and his demoralized subjects were indulged in their usual squabbling. Some wanted to take Reims others were crazy enough to suggest Paris, but no one seem to be interested in Orleans."

"They are so demoralised that no one meant any suggestions they made and neither were the royalty interested in acting upon any suggestions. My plea to have us reinforce Orleans fell to deaf ears. People there are desperate enough to suggest anything but are too scared to do anything."

"Dammit, with our economy crippled, Orleans cannot withstand an extended seige. We have the supplies in Vaucouleurs, we have enough troops to make a significant difference and this is not a crucial military location. With the forces here, we may just be able to turn the tides at Orleans."

Jeanne has heard enough, that was enough information, to turn the tides of the war. First, she had to use the troops at Vaucouleurs to help lift the seige at Orleans and to capture the outlying fortress around it. She had to score this major decisive victory, to inspire the men of France to fight. Upon achieving that, she would have to take Reims to ensure that the King could be crowned. With that, she can unify France under the royal banner and to have them rise up and fight the Englishmen.

On the morning the next day, Jeanne presented herself to Count Robert de Baudricourt, commander of the Vaucouleurs garrison offering him her sword.

"Your excellency, I've come to offer you my sword and a promise of victory at Orleans. Grant me an audience with the Dauphin and I will promise that you will ride with me to Orleans."

"Wow, those are big words for a girl with a big sword." Count Robert sneered.

"Dammit, this is not working well. I almost forgot how chauvinistic these men are." Jeanne thought. "Grant me an audience and I will prove to you my words." she said.

"Look lass why don't you take that toy of yours and pawn it, it will be worth much more that way. This is a military base and we do not have time here to entertain a girl who has a drop too much so why not just go play in the fields and leave the war gaming to the big boys." The count retorted.

Jeanne began to feel hot around the ears after hearing that insult. "That from a man who has lived for a few simple deacades? From some one who has not even seen the likes of Yomas and awakened beings?" Jeanne thought. Jeanne slowly reached for her sword, wanting to prove her strength. Then, an idea came to her. She slowly unsheathed her claymore with one hand and presented it to the garrison commander and said,"Haven has has empowered me with a vision and a sword. Saint Michael, Saint Catherine, and Saint Margaret came to me when I was but a child playing on the fields of Doremy. They commanded me to crown the dauphin at Reims and to drive the English out of France. This is the sword of heaven, examine it in any way you like for you will find no other sword like this one."

Bearing a look of suspicion on his face, the nobleman stretch out his hands, to recieved the sword. Jeanne slowly relinquished her grip on the sword and at the moment when she released her grip, Count Robert immediately staggered at the weight of the sword. Unable to withstand the weight of the sword, Count Robert immediately dropped the sword. Stunned, he slowly regained his composure and asked,"what on Earth is that monster made of?"

"This was a gift from the saints, I was not in a position to ask questions. My job was just to follow the will of God. I have taken my first step of obedience to seek your assistance, now will you take the step of faith with me?" Jeanne answered calmly.

"Why not take a seat in the command tentage while you tell me more about this vision from God." The count said, while showing Jeanne the way to the command tentage, while barking a few commands at his subordinates, "Guards, get the the sword of heaven and follow me. And the rest of you, summon every officer into the command tentage."

When all the officers have arrived and were seated into an uneasy silence, the count decided to break the silence,"so Miss..."

"Jeanne, Jeanne d'Arc" Jeanne answered

"Right, Miss Jeanne, when did you start having these visions?"

"When I was twelve, I was playing in the fields of Doremy, when I saw a glorious light from Heaven. There I saw the Saints and they were beautiful." Jeanne answered with a look of conviction.

"So what did they tell you?"

"They told me that the century of English oppression will soon be over and i was the one chosen, to crown our king and to drive the English back to the British isles. Paris will soon be free can peace will be brought upon these lands. I wept as the Saints left for they were beautiful."

"So why did you choose to act only now?"

"After the first vision, the Saints appeared to me irregularly. Ultimately, it was at the destruction of my village when I receive the instructions form heaven to act. Saint Micheal came and said to me, "This is a sword of heaven with this sword, you shall bring peace and comfort to your people." She said, making references to her claymore, which took three soldiers to bring into the tentage. "Then I was given instructions to seek your excellency, so that I may be presented before the dauphin."

"Much as I would like to believe Miss Jeanne you will need to give me more evidence to present to the royal court should I ask for permission to present you there.'

"Listen and note this that should I not be appointed to Orleans by next summer our forces there will suffer yet another humiliating defeat."

"I'm sorry my lady, but those are word that would require proof. I will present you to the court once you prophecy has met fruition."

"Very well your excellency and know that God will hold you to your words" Jeanne said while making her way out of the tentage, while effortless picking up her claymore on the way out."

As she left, two officers ran after her and when they caught up with her, they knelt down on one knee before her and one of them said,"Your lady, I am Jean de Metz and this is Bertrand de Poulengy, we would like to express out belief in you that should you one day require our assitance in this camp, please feel free to ask."

"I will brave men of France and mark my words that I will be back." She said simply, while keeping an ear out on the conversation within the tent.

"Your excellency, surly you don't believe a word of that woman."

"Have you seen how she wielded her claymore with a single hand? I bet none of you can do that, so even if she is not a Saint, at this point I am willing to try anything, even consorting with the Devil himself and if this girl can bring victory to France I'll be more than willing to carry her sandals to the ends of the earth." The count added soberly, "Look even if those visions are a hoax, her strength is no joke, so lets see how things go for now."

"But what if she is with the devil? Look at her eyes and her hair, those are definately not human."

"Then i'll be damned, but at this point in time, I really don't care. If it takes the Devil to win the war for us, then so be it." The count replied firmly, effectively cutting off all his officers.

Outside, Jeanne smiled to herself silently. "Things are going better than she had thought Jeanne thought to herself."

Ok this is a longer chapter as promised hope you guys enjoyed it, please rnr. I'm open to ideas so feel free to pm me.


	3. Fulfilling The Prophecy

Jeanne D'Arc Chapter 3: Fulfilling The Prophecy

Disclaimer: I do no own Jeanne or any other claymore characters that may appear. This story is based on the story of Joan of Arc or Jeanne D'Arc, with references to actual historical events of the 100 years war.  
Credit : This story is partly inspired by "Life Sucks!" by Useful Oxymoron

_Orleans(North Central France) January 1429_

She had the attention of a nobleman, powerful enough to grant her an audience with the royal family, now what she had to do, was to make her prophecy come true. She could A) wait for a chance for the French to attack, and tip things to the favour of the Englishmen, or B) tip the seige to the advantage of the English, dealing the French a decisive blow, or C) instigate the French to attack the English and tip the attack, to the favour of the English. In order to make the best decision, she needed the status of Orleans.

Jeanne travelled light, as usual, but instead of her usual equipment, Jeanne decided to carry an additional long bow. How best to turn the tides of a battle, than to disable their commander she thought. With that, she left the inn where she was staying and began her journey to Orleans. The journey across Northern France, was not a scenic one. The usual country sides were scarred by English raids and it took all of Jeannes discipline and self control to prevent her from interfering with any of these raids.

The strategy employed by the English was simple. Break the French economy and the military will collapse. The chevauchée tactic, involved the periodic raiding of French villages which were usually unguarded by the French military. These easy targets would be visited upon by small pockets of light calvary, which sought to pillage or destroy all forms of agriculture on these villages, the latter being the priority while the former being a form of added bonus. The results of these raids were two folds. First, it would weaken the French economy and decimate the local support for the French crown. Second, it would severly cut off the French supplies which were mainly obtained from the peasantry. These raids were fast and required little manpower and it would force the French to make a tough decision of choosing between their logistical needs, or to preserve their military strength, neither of which were beneficial to the French on the long run.

Having chose to conserve their military strength in Orleans, it became the responsibility of the local peasantry, to safeguard their own lands. As such, sights of sharpened stakes on the borders of French villages, and makeshift garrisons manned by local militia were not an uncommon sight in these parts of France. The sight of these once peaceful villages turning into military garrisons pained Jeanne, causing her to avoid these villages like a plague, on her journey to Orleans.

Unlike Vancouleurs, Orleans was a fortified city, in state of emergency. The city gates were manned by suspicious soldiers and the fortified walls were guarded by vigilant archers. The height and thickness of these walls and the sheer size of this city ensured that there was no way Jeanne could hear any military secrets without first getting into the city. Hence, she decided to start with the English first, before finally returning to Orleans to fulfill the prophecy.

The English troops were well disciplined and the fortress of Saint Loup is no less fortified than Orleans and unlike Orleans, Saint Loup was not a city, it was a pure military outpost. There was no way she could enter the fortress as a civilian. She could either enter the city as a soldier or she could enter the city in stealth. Since her unique claymore features made her impossible to impersonate an English soldier, she decided to try stealth. Her heightened senses allowed her to observe the movements of the guards. After close to an hour of observation, she was able to determine the prowling route of the guards. Once confident, she scaled the fortress walls with a grappling hook, under the cover of darkness. Upon doing so, she made her way to the command post and found a secluded spot to eavesdrop on the English commanders.

"Sir, the supply route have been redrawn. The last French attack has effectively limited our supplies, we must have the next batch of resup."

"Good, lay the map on the table. I will be personally escorting the supplies."

"But Sir Fastolf, what about the defence of this city?"

"This fortress will fall, if we do not get those supplies. I will bring with me a company. With the battalion that will be with the supplies, we will have approximately 400 soldiers. The rest of the forces will stay behind to defend the fortress."

"What if you meet with an ambush sir?"

"The terrain along this area should be flat and featureless. This would mean that the enemy will not be able to effectively ambush us. Hence it is likely that we would be met with a head on attack. We should be able to survive if we have advance warning. We can dig in and setup a makeshift garrison with our wagons and we can make use of the extra lumber collected en route to provide us with the stakes needed to deter the French calvary. I would be bringing along extra arrows , just to be on the safe side."

"Sir, what about the local defences, should you be in need of reinforcements?"

"The French are conservative by nature. It is unlikely that they would risk an attack on the fortress after their previous defeat. By travelling with a mere strength of 400, we can almost be sure that the French will attack the supply column. Furthermore, they do not have the resources to commit to a two prong attack. Even if, they choose to do so, they would not be able to take the fortress with what little troops they have. In an event when this should occur, the both of us will just have to hold our own fronts. However, in the most likely event of an attack on me, I will require you to reinforce me the moment you see smoke rising from the North. Should I fail to repel the French, I would require you to help me break out with the supplies and should I succeed to do so then you may have the honors of routing the enemy troops, am I clear on that."

"Sir yes sir" The soldier replied firmly, with a salute before leaving the command post."

_This English commander is good_, Jeanne thought to herself. Perhaps there was no need for any "divine intervention" to fulfill the prophecy. Satisfied with what she has heard, Jeanne left the fortress and made her way to Orleans the following morning. When she reached the city of Orleans, Jeanne buried her weapons on the outskirts of the city, dressed herself as a civilian and made her way to the gates of Orleans. The local guards were most cautious, but seeing that Jeanne was a simple village girl, they granted her entry to the city.

Orleans was a prosperous city, overseeing the septentrional bend of the Loire. The Loire river gave the city fertility, which ensured the city's agricultural prosperity. Trade brought about by the river and the taxes that were collected from its bridges promised the city, economic prosperity. Other than its vast economic uses. the river doubled as a natural moot. The perfect combination, of stable military supplies, large financial reserves(accumulated before the war) and a naturally defensible location, allowed the French to withstand two years of seige from the mighty English forces.

Upon arriving at the city Jeanne immediately began to observe the behavior of the local soldiers. It took a few nights in the local inn, to discover that there would be an upcoming high command meeting. The drunk soldiers gave her the time and place of the high command meeting of Count Clermont and his divisional staff and when the time came, Jeanne was ready.

"Your Excellency, intelligence reports from town of Rouvray indicated that there would be a convoy of wagons, carrying weapons, ammunitions and herrings, headed towards the fortress of St Loup."

"Those English bastards should be desperate for this batch of supplies after what happened the last time. We will have to intercept it and destroy it. Success now would ensure us victory when we finally attack St Loup. I will intercept them somewhere near the town of Rouvray, with Count Dunois' division and constable John's forces we will effectively engage them with a strength of 4500. Instruct the men to travel light for this will most likely be a hit and run mission. Hopefully, we can engage the enemy before they can entrench themselves. We will begin the attack with heavy artillery bombardment until our gunners have run out of shells and will proceed with a light infantry charge. We engage, burn their supplies and disengage immediately, before any reinforcements arrive. Gentlemen, get your men prepared, we will move out, at first light five days from now. You are all dismissed"

With that, Jeanne returned to the inn where she has been staying and prepared for her journey to Rouvray, where she would have to somehow, tweek the conditions to allow the 400 strong English repel the 4500 strong French.

Sorry that this chapter took so, I have taken into account suggestions from samurai89 and shelter and added some descriptions on the local scenery, while at the same time giving everyone an insight on what happened during the 100 years war. Hope you guys enjoy it and keep an eye out for the next chapter, Battle of Herrings. For more information, please visit wikipedia =)


	4. Battle of the Herrings

Jeanne D'Arc Chapter 4: Battle of Herrings

Disclaimer: I do no own Jeanne or any other claymore characters that may appear. This story is based on the story of Joan of Arc or Jeanne D'Arc, with references to actual historical events of the 100 years war.  
Credit : This story is partly inspired by "Life Sucks!" by Useful Oxymoron

According to my studies in military structure, this is what I perceive, to be the composition of a normal army during the medieval times, please correct me if I am wrong:

1 section - 10 men - commanded by a sergeant

1 platoon - 3 sections (30+) - commanded by a lieutenant

1 company - 3 platoons (100) - commanded by a captain

1 battalion - 4 companies (500 inclusive of logistical staff, eg cook, quartermaster) - commanded by a major

1 brigade - 4 battalions (2000+) - commanded by a colonel

1 division - 4 brigades (10000) - commanded by a general

1 corp - 4 divisions (40000) - commanded by a general(i dont know if there are different types of generals _then eg brigadier, lieutenant...)_

_Rouvray North of Orleans somewhere between Orleans and Paris 12 February 1429_

Belligerent A: Kingdom of France, Kingdom of Scotland

Commanders: Charles of Bourbon, Count of Clermont, commanding 1 brigade of French forces

Jean de Dunois, known also as the Bastard of Orléans, Count of Dunois, commanding 1 brigade of French forces

John Stewart of Darnley, constable of the Scots in France, commanding Scottish forces present

Strength: 4000 French footmen, lightly armed for quick attack with artillery support, 400 Scottist footmen similarly equipped

Mission: Destroy all English supplies

Belligerent B: Kingdom of England

Commander: Sir John Fastolf

Strength: 600 English footmen and archers, 300 wagons

Mission: Survive till reinforcements arrive

_Dawn, English camp_

The English camp is situated somewhere south of Rouvray. The soldiers have encamped at their current location for the past two days and have began digging a series of trenches for the past two days with the tools that were present with the supplies. Having rested and fed with fine herring from Paris, under the shade of the trenches that they dug for the past eight hours, the morale of the English forces was unprecedently high. Meanwhile, at the command post, a briefing was being given by their commander, Sir John Fastolf.

"Sir, scouts have reported the presence of hostile forces, numbering up to 4000 to 5000. Likely to engage us at noon"

"What of their equipment?"

"Scouts have discovered an artillery unit travelling with the main forces. The rest of the enemy are unmounted and lightly armed."

"Any news on their deployment?"

"The artillery unit is poised to be positioned 2 miles south of us, and will most likely bombard us in two hours time."

After hearing all the depressing reports about the overwhelming enemy strength, Sir Fastolf smiled, before turning to address his subordinates.

"Gentlemen rejoice, for we have won the battle." He said confidently, while using all his military discipline, to suppress his glee.

All the English officers were puzzled and waves of muttering of confusion broke out throughout their ranks. Sir Fastolf took a moment to appreciate the occasion, before continuing his address.

"Gentlemen, the French have just delivered the victory into our hands. In less than two hours, the French canons will begin their shelling on us, which would have no bearing on us considering the depths of our trenches. The Scots will most probably be the first to hit us, because of their size but they will be completely crushed by our archers because of their lack of protection. In their haste and their pride, our enemy have forgotten the fact that they do not have exclusive rights to all the archers in the world. As soon as the Scots attack us, the shelling will stop and we will destroy all of them with an arrow shower. The French will most probably attack our flanks next but we will not be there. Riding on the momentum of our initial victory, we will lash out with the fury of a tidal wave and cut down the tired enemies who have been forced to march for the past few days. Even though victory will be in their hands should they choose to engage us further, the two initial setbacks will force the conservative French to retreat, delivering us victory and fair maidens will sing of our deeds in this glorious battle."

Simply awed, the English officers simply stared at their commander in disbelief, before breaking out into great fits of laughter and to conclude his briefing, the knight delivered his final statement.

"Pass down the orders, get the men ready. Archers on the southern front and infantrymen, to prepare for our offensive. Put out a bounty for the two French noblemen and the Scottish policeman, trying to fill the role of the soldiers. All the best gentlemen and may the fair ladies sing for us tomorrow."

"For the fair ladies" The officers echoed in unison before moving out to prepare for the upcoming battle.

_Dawn French forces, two hours later_

The French forces were tired after two days of forced march. Even though, the weather was fine, terrain was flat and forgiving, the pace they had to maintain was unforgiving. The only only consolation they had were their light armament which turned out to be a curse as the mounted nobles used it as a leverage to make them march even faster. By the time they arrived at their objective, the French forces had barely mantained their will to fight, and the only thing that kept them going was the minute size of their enemy forces and promise that their mission was a short one. Upon seeing the enemy, the French forces halted while their commanders met for a last high command meeting before the attack.

"Your excellency, the artillery are in position."

"Good, get them to empty their shells on the enemy. Tell them to empty everything for every shell unfired will have to be brought back to Orleans."

The Count of Clermont ordered crisply.

"This is the plan, we shell the enemy into concussion, before mounting the attack. Constable John, mount your attack once the shelling has halted. Remember only attack when the shelling is complete, we do not want to kill any of our own forces with our cannons."

"But..." The Scot protested, only to be rudely cut off by the bastard of Orleans.

"No, we will only attack when the enemy has been sufficiently weakened. I appreciate your stand, but I value the lives of all your men as much as mine."

_Ya right, you are doing this so that you can give your own men the credit of winning _the constable thought.

"Constable, you will lead all your forces on a head on assault, while the two of us flank the enemy. This battle can easily be won by our numbers if not for anything else."

The Count of Bourbon briefed, while the artillery began it his voice in response to it, the count continued.

"Distract the enemy while we get to their supplies. Our archers, the finest throughout the lands, might I add will torch the enemy supplies and we will retreat once that has been achieved. That is all and may God smile upon us."

With the meeting concluded, the commanders quickly moved to prepare their troops for the assault. The orders were clear, but a cretain constable from Scotland had ideas of his own.

_Screw you, I will attack the enemy when they are unprepared and secure the victory for myself _The constable thought.

* * *

The artillery shelling continued for more than an hour while the Scots prepared for the charge. During the course of the hour, the count of Clermont sent 3 separate messengers to remind the Scot not to attack. The third message came as a last straw to the Scot and he decided to mount his attack. He turned to his men and quickly issued the orders for the attack. The scots charged at the English while the French watched in disbelief.

"Quick, order the canons to stop firing, dammit, that idiot will ruin everything. Dunois, prepare the men for the attack, we have no time to lose." The count ordered in panic.

Meanwhile, the Scottish soldiers charged valiantly at the objective, expecting to find wagons to burn. What greet them instead, was a steep man made slope, guiding them towards rows and rows of stakes designed to stop any calvary charges. Constable Steward watch the sight in disbelief as he only expected the enemy to be able to put up a makeshift garrison in the short period of time they had. Then he came to a sharp realisation that the enemy had deployed for more than two days and all the preparations for his defeat has been made. In their haste to destroy the supply column, the allied forces have neglected to obtain intelligence on the enemy troops.

But the constable had no time to contemplate the repercussions of his actions. Upon descending on the stakes the Scots were greeted by the enemy archers and the light armament of the troops caused them to quickly become pin cushions for the enemy archers. Resigning to his defeat, Constable John drew his sword in preparation for his final charge, only to be shot down by a wayward arrow, from his right.

This arrow was not shot by an English, but instead by a lone figure close to 75 metres away. _"_Bulls eye" Jeanne whispered. The longbow on her hands were crafted by a Chinese master she met, during her journeys to study Chinese medicine. It was a masterpiece that could not be drawn by a normal human and its range was just what Jeanne needed to slay the Scot in the midst of chaos.

Upon doing so, Jeanne quickly withdrawn while keeping an eye on the Scots who were being being destroyed by the English archers.

Meanwhile, the French began their assault on the English flanks only to be greeted by English troops, emboldened by their initial victory. The French were stunned by the ferocity of the English who quickly overwhelmed them. By then, the battle was no longer a French assault on the English but instead, an English massacre of the French. In their panic, the French footmen dropped their torches. The English assault was so ferocious that it quickly hit the French archers, preventing them from drawing their bows. Jeanne quickly let loose another two arrows quickly wounding the two French commanders, forcing the French into a humiliating retreat.

By noon, the one of the greatest military upsets have been written. Sir John Fastolf has successfully repelled a 4500 strong enemy forces, with his 600 men. Having her mission accomplished, Jeanne quickly made her way back to Vancouleurs, to prepare herself for her meeting with the French royalty.

* * *

Ok this chapter is meant to showcase the differences between the French conservative military mindset and the unconventional English mindset, which would ultimately lead to the French defeat. Jeanne would later use the English stratergies against them ultimately surprising them resulting in French victory in the war. Please review


	5. Beginning of A Crusade

Jeanne D'Arc Chapter 5 - Beginning of A Crusade

Disclaimer: I do no own Jeanne or any other claymore characters that may appear. This story is based on the story of Joan of Arc or Jean D'Arc, with references to actual historical events of the 100 years war.  
**And I have decided to change Jean's name to Jeanne(a different form of translation), because there are hell lot of Jeans(guys) during that era.**  
Credit : This story is partly inspired by "Life Sucks!" by Useful Oxymoron

_24 Hours after the Battle of Herrings, Vancouleurs_

The Battle of Herrings has achieved Jeanne's intended results. It was at least a week before the news would reach Vancouleursand this was a much needed break for Jeanne. Jeanne knew that the moment she could convince the Dauphin to allow her to head the army, rest would become a luxury that she would not have. It was not as though she needed the rest but after years of living in the countryside, she has grown quite accustomed to having peace and quietness in her life.

While waiting for the news of defeat to arrive at Vancouleurs, Jeanne began to brainstorm for ideas on her standards, she was having a hard time thinking about it since she has never been aesthetically inclined. The colours of her forces must be easily identifiable by friends and foes alike. It has to be something inspirational to lead France to a crusade. With that in mind, she began to look around the town for inspiration. She tried to find inspiration from the military standards available but all of them seemed too flashy and ostentatious. None of those standard military flags will appeal to the good soldiers of common birth. Then she decided to look into the heartlands but all the dull colours will not serve her purpose too. Then it all came to her when she stood before the the local chapel. She just had to use a banner of pure white. It would appeal to the commoners and it would also be striking enough on the battlefield. Furthermore it would serve well as a banner of God to rally the people of France. With that, the first phase of preparations for the crusade is complete.

_One week later, Vancouleurs_

"My lady, thank God you are here, we have been searching for you for the past two days. Our army has once again been defeated at Rouvray and his excellency seeks your audience so that he may present you to the court." Bertrand exclaimed.

"Never too soon my friend, come let us meet the count of yours" Jeanne replied calmly.

Jeanne never truly expected the nobleman to keep his word. She believed that he was patronizing her and that he needed more convincing before she could be brought to court. Satisfied with the outcome, Jeanne packed her belongings and brought her standards with her to meet the Count. Everything was going according to plan and what is left, is for Jeanne to convince the royalty.

_Vancouleurs Garrison, command tentage_

"Lady Jeanne, I have long awaited your arrival, your prophecy has came into fruition and I will fulfill my promise by escorting you to the court." The count greeted Jeanne respectfully, passing her a letter of reccomendation to Chinon at the same time.

"Your excellency, fine as your proposal may be, I'm afraid that I will have to travel to Chinon alone. Time is of the essence and the fastest way to Chinon lies across hostile territory of Burgundy. Bringing soldiers along will only seek to attract the enemy's attention. The spirit of God is with me, no harm shall befall upon me." Jeanne replied calmly. "I have to join the war at Orleans by April or the gates of Orleans will be broken and the Kingdom of France will be delivered into the hands of Henry VI of England."

"Then at least take a few men with you to the court of Prince Charles. They can be there as my representatives to ensure that the Dauphin will grant you an audience."

"Very well your excellency I will bring along Jean de Metz and Bertrand de Poulengy. With a letter of recommendation from you and and all the romours circulating around the court, I believe that I will be able to convince the Dauphin. Have faith and stay true to God. Take care of my standard and use it to rally the people while I'm gone. You will ride beside me to Orleans and we will take Reims together."

"May the spirit of God be with you and France." The count shouted as Jeanne left the garrison with Jean and Bertrand.

_Burgundy, En Route to Chinon_

The Duchy of Burgundy is ruled by Lord Philip III the Good, one of the most powerful nobelsin France. Before the onset of the war, John II the fearless reigned as Duke of Burgundy. He was locked in a fierce political struggle against Lord Louis I Duke of Orleans after the insanity of King Charles VI over the post as regent. The struggle culminated into a civil which the English took as an opportunity to invade France. In the light of a foreign threat, Charles VI was named dauphin of France and upon his appointment, he began peace overtures to Duke Philip. However, the Duke of Burgundy was assassinated during a peace conference with the Dauphin and his successor place the blame on the French royalty. As such, the Duchy of Burgundy declared its support of the King Henry's claim on the French crown and handed over bulk of Northern France over to the English.

Journey across these hostile lands was not easy. The local troops were suspicious travellers across the land. As such, galloping across the duchy at full speed in broad was not an option. Posing as merchants on wagons was also not a viable option as the pace of the wagons would be too slow. Instead, the trio decided to pose as Burgundian Knights, giving them the license to gallop across Burgundy at full throttle.

Countryside of Burgundy is scenic sight. Due to the duke's allegiance to the English the fief was largely unstirred by raiders. The forests of Burgundywere lined with huge coniferous trees, sparse arrangement of these trees made it easy of the trio to navigate on horseback and the pleasant spring weather made the journey most comfortable. Throughout the whole journey, Jeanne discussed about affairs of the state at lenght. The three also shared about each of their own interest and Jeanne found the two soldiers to be chivalrous and valiant and began to develop a sense of respect for these two soldiers. _Men of this calibre will serve much to my purpose_ she thought_._

_Chinon, Royal Court, 6 hours before Jeanne's arrival_

"Ladies and gentlemen, bmy midday today, a lady proclaimed as a prophet will enter into this very court and commune with me, what are your opinion of her?" The dauphin asked.

"My son, you should allow her the opportunity to speak for she has the faith of your people, something that has been lost in the war. It does not really matter whether or not she is a true prophet. As long as she can inspire your soldiers, you have a chance in this war." king's mother-in-law, Yolande of Aragon replied first.

"But your highness, this woman may be an assassin from England." a handsome and well built nobleman rebutted soberly perking the of the attention of many French nobles. Serious and quiet he speaks only at the most opportune moments. Such was the character of one of France leading military man, General Gilles de Rais.

"Your Highness, I say we have someone to disguise as you and see if this prophet girl of ours can can identify you among the crowd. If she does any harm to your substitute then we will kill her on the spot, if not then we will burn her on the stake."

"Simple and direct, such is the style of our beloved General La Hire. You Highness, I agree with our general here." Lord John II Duke of Alençon said to the dauphin. The other nobles began to murmur in agreement and the dauphin took a moment to contemplate before agreeing.

"Jean d'Aulon, you will pose as me with my robes and sit upon this throne when the lady arrives. High chamberlain, remember to announce him as the dauphin of France and the rest of you, accord him the same respect as you would for me. Ladies and gentlemen, let the charade begin." The dauphin announced dramatically.

* * *

I'll end this chapter with a little cliff hanger for now. I have just introduced the important characters in Jean's campaign, hope you people will appreciate my portrayal of Gilles as the cool guy and La Hire as the brash hardcore military type. I will be exploring more into their character and the character of Duke John II, as of now I'm only showcasing the influence of these people in court. Next chapter will be about Jeanne's performance in court and i'll be introducing a claymore character next so try guessing. I will update soon so don't forget to review =)


	6. Lady and the King

Jean D'Arc Chapter 6 - Lady and the King

Disclaimer: I do no own Jean or any other claymore characters that may appear. This story is based on the story of Joan of Arc or Jean D'Arc, with references to actual historical events of the 100 years war.  
Credit : This story is partly inspired by "Life Sucks!" by Useful Oxymoron

_Chinon, Royal Court_

"Announcing the arrival of Lady Jeanne D'Arc, on reccomendation of his excellency Count Robert de Baudricourt." The high chamberlain of Chinon announced.

Responding to the summons, Jeanne entered the royal court, flanked by Jean de Metz and Bertrand, moving with grace as though she was of noble birth. Jeanne was clad in her military attire, similar to what she used to wear when she was a claymore. As she approached the magnificent doors of the court, she was requested by the high chamberlain to disarm. Jeanne casually handed him her claymore which he dropped disgracefully due to its sheer weight, earning him a saveral confused looks from the nobles in the court, and a whistle of surprise from La Hire. The chamberlain quickly gathered a few men to carry away the immensly heavy blade and gestured for Jeanne to enter the court.

"She looks like a demon, look at her hair and her eyes...."

"Well, she does carry herself in a befitting manner..."

The nobles broke into excited waves of murmuring as the claymore walked into the court. Jeanne quickly perked up her senses to pick on what the nobles are talking about. She was quickly hit by a sensation which she has not felt in years and it was one that she did not expect to find here. She sensed the presence of yoki. The texture of the yoki was strong yet very subtle and well controlled. It definitely belong to someone stronger than her........

Meanwhile, in the corner of the court, three senior knights were engaged in a deep conversation among themselves.

"She has a very powerful aura. Prophet or not, she will make a good commander" The Duke John of Alençon whispered.

"Nay my lord, she is a woman, no man in the army will follow her, she will only be a joke of the armies" La Hire retorted.

"My dear general we have tried every know method a what we have in the end, is a stalemate at Orleans.... and I hate to admit it but if currunt options are not working then I believe we should.... think out of the box."

"And win by making the English laugh to death." Gilles asked skeptically.

Lord John opened his mouth to protest only to be interrupted by the high chamberlain.

"Announcing the arrival of his highness, Prince Charles VII, Dauphin of the Kingdom of France."

The arrival of Jean d'Aulon posing as the dauphin caused all the nobles present to sink to one knee. Jeanne and her company followed suit until they were told to recover. The arrival of Jean d'Aulon sparked the curiosity and one look at him allowed her to determine the source of the yoki. Upon being seated on the throne, Jean summoned Jeanne before him to grant her his audience.

Jeanne gracefully approached the throne and bent over when she reached the bogus emperor, whispering into his ears, "Hello Isley." while planting a chaste kiss on his cheeks before standing up and declaring, "As good a man as he may be, this man is not the future King of France." She quickly followed the scent of Isley's clothes to the Dauphin, kneeling down before him and kissed his hand, bringing about swift reaction from the senior knights who quickly pressed their blades against her throat.

"My sweet sweet dauphin, future king of France, the King of heaven has a message for you and you alone." Jeanne deaclared, unperturbed by the knights.

Prince Charles got his knights to stand down. He was impressed by this lady's mannerisms, and her ability to identify him from the crowd. Charles cleared his throat and said to Jeanne, "Come my lady allow us to commune in my private chambers." Gesturing for Jeanne to follow him into the nearby conference room, at the same time gesturing for his knights to stay put.

_Conference Room_

"My lady may I know what plan does the Father of heaven have for me."

"You highness, his Majesty has instructed me to be present at Orleans by April. There we will call you citizens to arms and we will sweep through the outlaying fortresses of Orleans, before taking Reims where you will be crowned at the Notre-Dame de Reims. From there we will push on to Paris before driving the English away from France. After doing so, we may sue for peace with Burgundy, ensuring the peace of France and the sovereignty of our kingdom."

"Well spoken my lady, but much as I would like to support you, you will have to convince my follow aristocrates of your divinity."

"I am not a harlequin here to impressed gaping nobles."

"Then I'm sorry but I have to decline your help then."

"Fine your highness, but I can I have my sword back."

"Granted, now let us return to the hall again my lady."

"After you, your highness." Jeanne concluded the private audience politely.

_Royal Court_

"Ladies and gentlemen, I have heard the words of the Lady and have decided to dispatch her to Orleans. Who here would pledge their armies to this cause" The dauphin announced as he took his place before his throne.

"Let her prove herself then." The Duke of Alençon challenged.

"Your grace, the sword that I am holding is forged by the flames of heaven and can only be wielded by its chosen, why don't you try wielding it Jeanne replied, while handing the sword over to the duke, which the duke promptly dropped. The rest of the nobles then took turn to try and lift it but have all failed with the exception of La Hire who managed to barely lift the blade up with two hands, subsequently dropping it due to its weight.

The nobles starred in disbelief and Jeanne took the opportunity to pretend to enter into a trance like state while releasing her yokito may her eyes turn gold, before declaring dramatically, "The King of Heaven has called you to war, Duke of Alençon and with you, ride General La Hire and General Gilles de Rais. And you, Jean d'Aulon will bear the sword of my Maiden. What say you to this calling."

Stunned beyond words, the senoir knights of France knelt before Jeanne and swore fealty to God. Satisfied, Jeanne slummed in a feigned exhaustion, to be supported by Isley, who was wearing a vexed expression on his face. Seeing this Jeanne quickly threw him a smirk and a wink before pretending to regain consciousness.

"My young knight, you have been chosen to carry the sword. Now go and prove to the people here the might of Heaven." Jeanne said calmly before standing up again.

Isleyreluctantly walked towards the sword and picked it up with one hand before taking his place beside Jeanne. Satisfied with the outcome, the Dauphin quickly declared, "Take with you, the forces of these knights and their troops within the garrison at Vancouleurs and draft any members of the peasantry you wish into your army my Lady. As for you, my Duke, you are now named the supreme commander of the Northern Campaign and General Gilles and La Hire will serve as your vice-commanders. Rally our forces in the north and retake the fortress of Orleans."

"Yes your Highness" The knights replied in unison, before retiring to make preperations for their troops to make the march to Orleans.

Meanwhile, Jeanne and Isley were ushered into a guest room with Bertrand and Jean de Mets, and were told that the preperation for the march would be complete by midday the next day. Seeing the expression on Isley's face Jeanne quickly dismissed her two friends before preparing herself to be murdered by Isley.

"So can you tell me why the hell, should the most powerful living thing on this damn planet be carrying your sword for you, not to forget, what the fuck are you doing here trying to become an army commander. Wait till Miria hears of this..." Isley growled dangerously.

"Then why are you here?" Jeanne retorted.

"Fine wine and comfort, nothing else, I am not interested in involving myself with the politics of these feeble humans and stop trying to divert the attention to me, you are now the subject in question."

"Ok fine, my village just got burned down by English raiders and I thought that I should do something for them, after all they gave me the happiest years of my life. And not only that, I thought that this adventure would be a tribute to those who died in the war against the organization, and honor to their memory." Jean replied going significantly quieter when she reached the part about their former comrades. With tears in her eyes, she looked up and pleaded to Isley, "So will you help me with this, mighty White Silver King of the North."

_Dammit, why is it that I somehow cannot say no to her. No, no, no this time I will have to stop her from this CRAZY plan._"So...... you have it all thought out already?" Isley inquired, giving himself a kick in his own guts.

"First, we will bring the whole of Orleans and its outlying fortresses under our control. Then we will secure Reims for coronation of Charles before advancing to Paris. So what do you think?" _Yes, I always knew you have a soft spot for me all that going beef and eating only crooks. Its checkmate to you my king._

"So how are you going to extract yourself......"

And the conversation continued till midnight, where Isley prudently retired back to his own quarters.

* * *

Here we have it, Isley who has been posing as a junior knight to enjoy the finer things in life. There will be some more development among these two but for now it will be all. This conversation deals with the ending of this story so i'm not gonna spoil it now. Enjoy and review.  
For those interested to read a humorous claymore fanfic, you can try Life Sucks! by useful Useful Oxymoron, this story is also based on that story so do read and show your support there.

To samurai, shelter, oxymoron and meikajo, pls continue reviewing and supporting this story. (Reviews encourage me to write faster ;) )


	7. Beauty and the Beast

Jean D'Arc Chapter 7 - Beauty and the Beast

Disclaimer: I do no own Jeanne, Isley or any other claymore characters that may appear. This story is based on the story of Joan of Arc or Jean D'Arc, with references to actual historical events of the 100 years war.  
Credit : This story is partly inspired by "Life Sucks!" by Useful Oxymoron

_Chinon, Royal Court_

"Lady Jeanne, his highness requests for your presence in the royal court." A court chamberlain announced to Jeanne politely.

"Thank you and may I know where are the commanders?" Jeanne inquired.

"They are with the dauphin." The chamberlain answered, before bowing politely and taking his leave.

"Alright, time to see the dauphin." Jeanne instructed Isley.

"Hey careful with the tone you are taking lady, piss me off and I'll throw a royal feast right here right now. The fat ass who has been reared with foie gras and truffel would make a good ingredient for fine dining in one of the nicer palaces around." Isley growled.

"Alright, would you, Sir Jean D'Aulon please accompany me to the royal court." Jean asked in her most girly and sugar coated tone, a tone which she would never imagine taking when she was a yoma hunter. Jean has always been strong-willed and independent but somehow, being beside the most powerful living creature on earth is bringing out the girly side of her. Ever since she became a claymore, Jeanne has always been physically superior than any human male. No man has ever given her the sense of security she needed as a girl, up till now. And somehow, this man before him presents her everything the closet girl in her requires.

"OK, I give up, I'll escort you there." Isley replied as he threw his arms in the air in fustration before walking over to pick up Jeanne's claymore, finally adding, "and after you my Lady." in mock respect.

Isley would never imagine that he would ever allow a claymore to talk to him in such a manner. As the abyssal one of the north, he would rip apart any subordinates who would speak to him in such a manner, much so a claymore but there was something about Jeanne that compelled him to give in to her and he somehow cannot put his mind around this feeling. The only woman who has ever been able to talk to him in such a manner was Priscilla and he was compelled by fear and lust to comply. This feeling was new and somehow he enjoys it.

Jeanne entered the royal court in a regal and dignifed manner clad in her full armour. Isley followed behind her, with her claymore and upon entering the court, she was asked to kneel down before the Dauphin.

"Lady Jeanne, in recognition, of the responsibilities entrusted upon you by the Lord Almighty, and your patriotism to the Kingdom of France. I, Charles VII, Dauphin of France hereby dub thee Lady Jeanne D'Arc, Knight of the most holy church of God. May the Lord God Almighty guide your sword and may you be ever so faithful to him." The dauphin announced, before tapping her shoulders with a ceremonial sword. Upon recieving the cue, Jeanne rose to recieve the sword from her ruler.

"Much as I would like this to be a grand affair, I have no choice but to knight you hastily. Now go my lady, and may God be with you." The dauphin said.

Duke John II of Alençon left the hall with his companions immediately after the knighting was complete and Jeanne quickly caught up with him. "My Lord, may I have a word with you before we begin the march."

"Yes you may, I will gather all officers within our ranks, there is much that we have to discuss about. How about we meet in an hour time, in the war chambers." The duke replied cooly, his expressions unreadable.

"You are most kind my Lord." Jeanne acknowledged.

* * *

The imperial chambers of war, was shaped like an auditorium, with a stage and a podium on it. The backdrop of the stage was decorated with a blownup map of France and with it were maps of various provinces of France, rolled up on the corner of the stage. The front portion of the stage, was a built in sand pit, which could be made into a sand model, inclined to allow audiences in the stands to see the sand model. Jeanne entered the chambers with the duke as part of his chief of staff and was instructed to sit on the front rows of the chambers. The duke took his place on the podium and quickly scanned through his ranks of officers. The officers were seated in order of decreasing rank and it was easy to spot any absentees. Seeing that all his officers were present, Lord John II began his opening address.

"Gentlemen, I call upon this meeting here and now, for us to first be acquainted with her Lady Jeanne D'Arc who will be joining us in this campaign." Lord John announced to the assembled officers. "I believe that all of you are well acquainted with my senior staff, General Gilles and General La Hire and I trust that Sir Jean D'Aulon is no stranger to all of you." He added. pausing to assess the response of his staff with regards to their newest commander. "As all of you may know, we will now be reinforcing Orleans and hopefully, with the troops we have at Vancouleurs, we may make a bid for Reims and Paris. This meeting is predominately for us to state our expectations on all of you and we hope that all of you may impose these expectations onto you men as well. General Gilles, would you like to have the honour of addressing our troops first?

"Gentlemen, most of you have worked intimately with me for a period of time, however I would like to make it clear that we are now heading for an all out war which is unlike any of the tiny skirmishes we had for the past years." He paused making sure that the reality has sunk in to every single officer, if it hasn't by now. "Discipline will have to be stepped up and war time protocols will have to be enacted. Any offenders will have to be dealt with appropriately and any commanders who fail to enforce discipline in their men will be severely punished. I don't give damn to who your father is or to which family you belong to if I have to humiliate you in front of the whole army then so be it am I clear on that gentlemen?"

The speech, short and to the point, was delivered in a dangerous tone hovering slightly above that of a whisper, has caused every single officer in the room to sit up straight and the only response possible to the speech was a resounding, "Sir yes sir." Jeanne was highly impressed with the young general and quickly made a few mental notes about him. With the conclusion of the speech Gilles quickly returned to his seat and La Hire moved to replace him on the podium.

"Alright guys, most of you should know by now that I have never been good with fanciful speeches, so I cut the chase and go straight to the point. The only thing in the world that I hate, as much as English soldiers are cowards so don't let be catch any of you chickening out on the battlefield. Should any of you find any balless scums among your men do not hesitate to stick your sword through them. Our mission is simple, we are told to drive the English out of France and I say, to hell with the English. What say the rest of you." La Hire's speech which began as a normal speech, slowly built up in a crescendo, ultimately drawing about rowdy bouts of cheers from amongst the ranks of the soldiers.

General Gilles de Rias, a serious man, of few words and fewer humour. General La Hire, a passionate man of big words and lots of humour. A gentlemen and a brute. These two men complimented each other perfectly making them the most celebrated soldiers in the nation. What Gilles lacked in motivation was complimented with La Hire's drive and what La Hire lacked in level headedness was complimented by Gilles' wits and intelligence. Jeanne could not help but wonder if her presence was even needed in this war.

* * *

As most should know, that Gilles de Rias as supposed to be a good looking man and pop culture depicts La Hire as a bruttish man. Hence, the beauty and the beast. Hope most of you out there will like this chapter please review. Reviews inspire me to write faster I accept all reviews except for flames so please tell me if you guys like this story or not.


	8. Burning of France

Jean D'Arc Chapter 8: Burning of France

Disclaimer: I do no own Jeanne or any other claymore characters that may appear. This storyis based on the story of Joan of Arc or Jean D'Arc, with references to actual historical events of the 100 years war.  
Credit : This story is partly inspired by "Life Sucks!" by Useful Oxymoron

_Chinon, Imperial Chamber of War_

"Sir Jean D'Aulon would you like to address the officers, before we present the fair lady to the officers?" Duke John II of Alençon asked Isley. The statement "fair lady" drew some stifled sniggersfrom the officers present, only to be silenced by by a stern look from Gilles. Most of the officers did not know of Jeanne's status as the 'handmaiden of God", most of them only knew of a newly appointed female knight who will be commanding them and most believed her to be a daughter of a noble trying to play war.

"Gentlemen, I know that most of you are interested to be acquainted to Lady Jeanne so I promise that I will make this short." Isleyannounced, while throwing Jeanne a quick smirk, who in return gave him an exceptionally dirty look. "Gentlemen, there is only one thing that all of you need to know about me and that is that I do not take kindly to soldiers who question orders, when a superior officer tells you to do something, you fucking do it, anyone who does otherwise, will be executed on the spot, am I clear?"

"Sir yes sir!"

"Now on a more positive note, allow me to introduce all of you to the lovely Lady Jeanne D'Arc" Isley concluded, quickly flashing a look of pure mischief at Jeanne, who quickly took the stage.

"Gentlemen, the God almighty has a plan for France."

"Blasphemy!" A soldier interrupted.

"Your rank and name please?" Jeanne asked politely turning to face a soldier standing amongst the stands.

"Lieutenant Claude le Brun." The officer answered calmly, throwing his gauntlet before Jeanne. The entire crowd present gasped in surprised.

"Insubordination." Gilles hissed, turning sharply towards the Lieutenant while Isley jumped before Jeanne, sword drawn prepared to defend the honour of Jeanne. "My lady, allow me to represent you," he asked.

"So, Sir Jean D'Aulon has sunk so low that he would help defend an officer ranking lower than him." Claude sneered, earning himself an angry growl from Isley.

"Stand down Sir Jean, I am fully capable of representing myself." Jeanne answered while putting her left hand on his shoulder and giving him an assuring squeeze. "I accept your challenge Lieutenant and as such, I assert my right to decide the time, the place and rules of the duel."

"Agreed." Claude answered.

"We will have our duel in the main courtyard, now and all present shall bear witness to it. Lord Alençon would you do us the favour of presiding over the duel?" Jeanne inquired.

"I would be my pleasure, and may I know what are the rules of the duel?" the duke answered.

"Submission, knock out or death. Broadswords and chainmail." Jeanne answered curtly.

"The most classic form of duel, most gracious of our lady to not take advantage of the situation." Claude commented.

"Only because I see no need to." Jeanne answered.

* * *

_Chinon, Royal Courtyard_

The royal courtyard, was a beautiful sight especially during this time of the year, when the nectarine trees are in full bloom and the early summer breeze causing the petals of the trees to drift in a poetic manner across the courtyard, ironic considering the war raging across the northern part of the kingdom and the duel that is about to occur. All the officers present in the war chamber has adjourned to the courtyard and were earnest spectate the duel. As usual, the higher ranking officers were able to spectate in the front rows while the lower ranking ones had to crane their necks behind their superiors.

The duel has also attracted the attention of the multitudes of nobles present, and by the time the duel is about to begin, the entire french royal court has been transformed into an high class betting station and Isley took the opportunity, to accept wagers against Jeanne, offering generous odds for thos betting on Claude.

"Say what are the odds for Claude?" La Hire inquired.

"One to five and a half my dear general." Isley chirped.

"Alright I'm in, 300 Francs on Claude and make sure you pay me back in full at the end of it all."

"It is my pleasure to accept this bet. Gilles would you like to make a wager?" Isley asked, earning himself and La Hire a look of disapproval from Gilles.

The contestants both drew their swords, and were circling each other dangerously. Jeanne decided to use a standard issued sword, instead of her claymore, stating that the sword of heaven is meant to be used only against the English, while Claude had his broadsword arced dangerously below his hip and at Lord Alençon cue he lunged forward, swiping his blade upwards, aiming for a clean cut across Jeanne's chest. Jeanne parried the blow with ease and quickly slammed the hilt of her sword into his chest drawing gasps of shock from all present. She the used the moment of shock to disarm Claude by slicing him across his right wrist before bringing her blade to his throat.

Three blows, that was all it took for this unknown village girl to disarm a French officer. All the officers present gaped in shock as Duke John II announced the result of the duel. "The duel goes to Lady Jeanne D'Arc, as such, Sir John's life is forfiet."

"Brave soldiers of France, much as I admire Lieutenant Claude's courage, there is a point that I have to make across to all of you. I know that most of you present are unwilling to hand your lives and the lives of you men to me but I do hope that all of you will have the faith to trust in the Lord Almighty. The Lord works in mysterious ways and as such, faith is what this army needs. As what Sir Jean and General Gilles has mentioned, there is no room for doubt in the military, as such I hand LieutenantClaude over to Sir Jean for disciplinary actions." Jeanne announced to the soldiers and noble present, blade still pressed onto Claude's neck.

"Lieutenant Claude, you will receive thirty strokes of the whip here in the imperial courtyard and may this serve as a warning to the rest of you. The next case of insubordination will be dealt with the sword." Isley delivered the sentence crisply.

"And as I was saying, the Lord has a vision for us." Jeanne continued, this time, with the full attention of all the officers present. "He wants us to set France on fire. We will sweep across the land like a wild fire and we will inspire all the French in the lands. Let all weary soldiers know that God has not forsaken them and let all the people of the lands know that our God requires their service in the army. With the whole of France behind us, and the God Almighty with us, we will have victory." Jeanne concluded her address, punching her right hand in the air in tandem with the final statement, drawing about loud chanting from the soldiers present.

"Vic-to-ry, vic-to-ry ..... "

Back in a corner,Gilles observed the whole encounter with interest, while Isley grinned infectiously at a glowering La Hire, with his hand outstretched. Over a single duel, Isley became the richest soldier in the army.

* * *

This chapter took longer than expected as I am getting rather busydue to my new job, so please forgive me and don't forget to review.

Btw, I'm looking for a beta, pm if interested.


	9. Preparations in Orleans

Jean D'Arc Chapter 9: Preparations in Orleans

Disclaimer: I do no own Jean or any other claymore characters that may appear. This story is based on the story of Joan of Arc or Jean D'Arc, with references to actual historical events of the 100 years war.  
Credit : This story is partly inspired by "Life Sucks!" by Useful Oxymoron  
Beta: Shelter (Thanks =) )

_En Route to Orleans_

The march to Orleans was comfortable, the early summer breeze and the beauty of Loire River would have made the journey most enjoyable, if Jeanne was not on her way to the most war torn city in the nation. Furthermore, the discrimination she received from the senior knights present made the journey much more sour. Throughout the whole trips, Jeanne found herself omitted from every important meeting and it was only Isley who kept her up to date with the matters of the army. As far as the senior knights were concerned, Jeanne was simply a figure head to uphold the morale of the troops.

Jeanne soon took it upon herself, to preach in every village that the army had came across and as a result they responded to the call to arms fervently. Soon, words about the silver haired maiden of God began to spread throughout the land. Her message was simple, the war was a punishment from God, to France and redemption would come only with is a nationwide revival of faith. The villagers soon began to flock towards her banner and Isley took it upon himself to band together these new recruits into Jeanne's personal battalion while Jean de Metz and Bertrand de Poulengy also devoted their time to provide these men with military training.

_Orleans_

On 29 April 1429 the relief column arrived at Orleans and Jeanne preached to the people of Orleans personally in the city square of Orleans. Many caught the sight of Jeanne's banner and her silver and white armour which gleaming beautifully in the evening sun and were attracted to her speech. Seeing her radiance, many were convinced that she was a true servant of God.

"People of Orleans, the nation of France did evil in the eyes of the Lord! For years, we have forsaken the church of God and as punishment, God has delivered Paris and the church of Reims into the hands of the English."

"But fear not my fellow countrymen, God has appointed me to deliver France from the hands of the English and here I am, with the message of redemption. Mark my words that on the 7th of may, the siege of Orleans would be lifted. The Lord now requires the service of each of you here, to help capture Saint Loup. Now who amongst you are willing to take this step of obedience, for the liberation of France?"

Jeanne has timed her speech carefully with the sunset and concluded her speech, with the drawing of her sword with her right hand. This show of visuals, theatrics and strategy caused may present to respond to the call to arms and by the end of the day, Jeanne gained a total of 973 recruits from Orleans and the villages she visited, enough for her to organize them into two battlions, each to be commanded by Jean de Metz and Bertrand de Poulengy.

Jeanne viewed the drafting of her new recruits, with deep regret. She wondered how many gullible peasants she was leading to death. Even though she knew she was immortal, these people were not and, contrary to what many would have believed, many years have not desensitised her to hardship and death - pushing her to study medicine in the past. The recruits she had were no trained soldiers and even at Pieta, she had been worried for the lives of the lower ranking warriors.

Isley, knowing her thoughts, came behind her and embraced her with his powerful arms. Somehow, words were not required between the two of them. Jeanne turned around and wrapped her arms around Isleyand began to let her pent up grief flow. For the next half and hour, Jeanne sobbed with her head buried in Isley's chest while Isley held her tightl with his left hand, patting her gently with his right. After the long moment of silence, Jeanne finally spoke up.

"How was it possible for you to change your mentality about humans so quickly? I mean the moment you awakened?"

"The feeling of awakening brought about a very strong sense of power and a strong urge of hunger. Within a moment, you suddenly feel like you are the most powerful predator in the world and your primal instinct will tell you that the whole world is free game for you."

"But how did you manage to seem so much in control of yourself?"

"After sometime, most of us managed to get used to the overwhelming ego. As for the hunger, we can keep it in check as long as we feed regularly. Furthermore, human flesh is simply a preferred form of diet, we are actually not that picky about what we eat and as long as we don't transform into our fully awakened state, there is no need for us to eat that much."

"So what made you decide against living like Agatha?"

"After the days I had with Raki and Priscilla I decided that power, control and territory is of no importance. I simply wanted a peaceful life but I was always denied of it by the organization so after we overthrew the organization, I decided to go on with this life. I changed my diet to mainly beef, occasionally going for a few brigades of bandits and once in a while prisoners on death row. They were the scums of the Earth. When the war started, I took it upon myself to feed on casualties of war who are beyond help you know, to end their misery but once in a while I still enjoyed roaming freely in the woods in my fully awakened form."

"One day, after this is all over, can you share that experience with me?"

"Sure, but what you have to focus on now is to win this war and to bring as many men back alive as possible."

"Ok...."

"So it's a date?"

"It is?"

The rest of the night was filled with nostalgic chat and Isley stayed with Jeanne until she finally managed to drift to sleep.

_The following morning, Chambers of War_

People present:

Lord John II of Alençon  
Count Jean de Dunois of Mortain (acting Duke of Orleans)  
Charles of Bourbon, Count of Clermont  
General La Hire  
General Gilles de Rias Marshal of France  
General La Hire  
Sir Jean D'Aulon aka Isley

"Count Dunois, can you give me brief account of your present strength?" The Duke of Alençon inquired?

"We have 3000 soldiers committed to the defence of the fort. With the soldiers that you have brought in, now have a total effective strength of 9000, with 4000+ armed citizens including those that have been recently recruited by Jeanne. We are now waiting for the reinforcements from Vaucouleurs garrison which will bring our total strength up to 2000 then we will have enough troops to encircle and starve St Loup into submission...." Count Dunois replied, but was abruptly cut off by Jeanne who made a grand entrance by slamming open the heavy doors of the chambers.

"Gentlemen, I present to..." John II announced, only to be cut off by Jeanne again.

"With all due respect your grace, may I know why am I not invited to a meeting for all nobility, when I am clearly already a knight of France?"

"My lady, you are but a village girl with no experience with warfare. You may be highly accomplished with the sword, but that does not make you skilled with the art of war."

"But men do not live on bread alone, but...."

"And wars are not fought based on visions from God alone too." The duke interrupted.

"I propose a wager then, I'll lead the vanguard for the forces marching on to St Loup and I will capture St Loup in one day."

With that, all the nobility present scoffed at her, except for Isley who declared, "I will support her with my brigade."

An awkward silence fell across the whole chambers which was finally broken when John II accepted the wager. The rest of the meeting was uneventfully, save when agreed date of assault was decided: 4th of May.

* * *

I'm truly sorry I took so long for this chapter, had to deal with a writer's block so hope all of you will forgive me please review and hope all of you may enjoy this story. Next few chapters will be action packed so hope all of you will enjoy the shift in paradigm


	10. Duel of St Loup

**Jean D'Arc Chapter 10:**

**Duel of Saint Loup**

**Disclaimer:** I do no own Jean or any other claymore characters that may appear. This story is based on the story of Joan of Arc or Jean D'Arc, with references to actual historical events of the 100 years war.

**Credit:** This story is partly inspired by "Life Sucks!" by Useful Oxymoron

Beta: Shelter (Thanks =) )

_Château De Dunois, 1st of May_

The noblemen of France sat around a stone table, in the courtyard of Château De Dunois, the residence of the ducal family of Orleans. Most of the men present were expressing their nervousness about the upcoming attack in their own manner, save for Gilles who seemed as emotionless as ever, and Isley, who seemed unperturbed (probably because he was, indeed, the most powerful creature alive). Much of the nervousness was due to the fact that they were somehow being bullied by a woman. Moreover, what they were about to do in 3 days time was literally the anti-thesis of French military strategy, employed faithfully by the nation for the past few centuries. Jean de Dunois has already left for Blois to gather reinforcements while La Hire was well into his second bottle of wine, while Charles of Bourbon limped to and fro about the pavilion.

"Charles! Can you stop limping around like that, you are making me dizzy and anyways, why are you even limping?" La Hire roared in frustration.

"I'm limping because of a stray arrow that hit me during the last skirmish and in three days time, if we cannot come up with a sound strategy, then I would be thankful that I can even limp and La Hire, can you get your damn face out of the wine glass already!" The angsty Count of Clermont shouted back.

"Will you two keep the volume down? I'm trying to enjoy my game here," Isley shouted over the racket, trying to break up the argument in vain while Gilles simply continued with their game of chess, paying no heed to the two men.

"Say Jean, how can you be so casual about the upcoming skirmish? You seem to be very confident of our pucelle, so confident that you can bet your whole career on her," The Duke of Alençon inquired of Isley.

"Trust me. You will have the faith in her once you see what she can do," Isley answered calmly and before he could further elaborate on his point, Jean de Metz arrived to deliver a message for all present.

"Your Grace," he greeted as he came into the presence of the nobles. "Lady Jeanne who like to ask if any of you are interested in accompanying her to St Loup."

"What for?" The duke immediately asked.

"To inspect the enemy fortifications and to make a plea for them to surrender the fortress," he answered immediately.

"Barking mad!" La Hire thundered.

"So, not only is she going to make us attack the enemy when we are unprepared, she is going to throw away any element of surprise we have by giving them a formal declaration of war?" Count Charles inquired, with a look of pure shock.

"Relax gentlemen. I'll go with her to see what she wants," Isley answered nonchalantly.

"Do what you want Sir Aulon, but I will not sacrifice the lives of our men in this foolish endeavour. Come 4th of May, the two of you are totally on your own," The Duke of Alençon replied with a smirk. This insanity had given him a completely legitimate reason to call off the offensive on the 4th of May.

_En Route to St Loup_

"Now my lady, can you tell me what have you got in store for the English today." Isley asked Jeanne in mock respect.

"I am going to give the English a chance to surrender and at the same time, I would like to take a look at their fortifications, so that I may be able to come up with a strategy for the attack." Jeanne answered casually.

"So, you are telling me that you plan on giving the English a fair warning before the battle?" Isley inquired, with a faint note of humour.

"That seems to be the plan, unless you got anything better." Jean replied with a shrug.

"God, you really have got no idea on how to plan a war," Isley commented, slapping his palm on his forehead. "Fine… since you don't have a plan, then we shall use mine. We will challenge the English to a fair duel, and we will humiliate their commander until their morale is broken. Then, on the 4th of May, we will go there once more and insult them till they respond to a separate challenge, then use the opportunity to get them." Isley suggested.

"And how do you plan on achieving all these?" Jeanne asked.

"First, in order to make them accept the challenge, we will have to insult them non-stop. Next, we will have to wipe the floor with them. Then, come 4th of May, we will challenge them again, giving them a chance to regain their honor. We will trash them again and when the time comes, we will tie their commanders to our horses and drag them back to our base. When that happens, the English will give chase and we can bombard the troops giving chase. Finally, we will get our troops to creep up and assault the fortress, when they are preoccupied with the artillery," Isley explained patiently.

"Won't they shoot us full of arrow when we are trying to tie their commanders to our horses?" Jeanne questioned.

"They will not send down a rain of arrows, with their commanders being so close to us. They might try and snipe us with a few of their better sharpshooters but they will not succeed not against you or me, at least. And don't forget, you have got me around. No arrow is going to hurt you, with the most powerful living thing around you. So even if they send an arrow storm, don't worry," Isley answered, causing Jeanne to blush at that comment, before quickly changing the topic: "Hey look, this is St Loup."

"Alright we'll follow through with your plan then," Jeanne said, giving Isley a brief nod, before turning to face the fortress filled with archers with bows and arrows trained on the two of them.

"Soldiers of England, I come with a message from God, for your commanders. Please get them to come forward a receive it," Jeanne declared in fluent English with a yoki enhanced voice. Shocked at the amount of power delivered by the voice of a seemingly harmless girl, the sergeant in charge of the watch quickly dashed into the command centre to get his superior Sir William Glasdale.

"I hear that a woman who has proclaimed herself to be the Maiden has come with a message for me. But I have no quarrel with you, lass. Retract your self exalting proclamations and return to the fields that natured you, lest I have you burnt on the stake for heresy," The English commander shouted confidently, as he leaned over the parapet.

"What I say to you is what I have said to your King and your reagent: settle your debt to the king of Heaven. And return to the Maiden – who is envoy of the king of Heaven – the keys to all the good towns you took and violated in France," Jeanne answered in defiance, taking no heed in the knight's words.

"Then you leave me no choice."

The commander shouted in regret, before turning over to his sergeant and giving him the order to fire the arrows. As soon as the order left his mouth, sheets upon sheets of arrows fell upon Jeanne and Isley. In the midst of shooting, many soldiers started muttering for God's blessing, hoping upon hope that they will not be the one to kill God's prophet.

Though Jeanne was no Clare or Flora in terms of speed, she was still able to parry away the incoming arrows easily, while Isley seemed throughly amused by the humans' feeble attempts to kill them. Finally, when the archers have stopped firing Isley began to shout back at the English commander. "May I know the name of the cowardly commander who dare not face a lady by himself."

"I am Sir William Glasdale, and mark my name for it will be the name of your slayer." The knight replied in rage, forgetting the show of skill he **had** just witnessed. Following which, he quickly grabbed his sword and dashed to meet Jeanne and Isley, gathering some of his trusted subordinates on the way.

"Seems like we have a hot-head over here. 4th of May will be even easier than expected," Isley whispered to Jeanne, with a smirk as the enraged commander rushed down to meet them.

Upon reaching the duo, the English knight threw his gauntlet before Isley and challenged him to a duel which he gladly accepted.

"Watch carefully witch, I will prove the heresy in your words by defeating your champion." Sir Glasdale seethed.

"Look, are you going to talk or are you going to prove your words? Come on, prove that God is not with us by beating me," Isley taunted.

"If you are ready then, here goes." Glasdale answered before swinging his heavy broadsword at Isley which Isley parried easily. The duel slowly degenerated into a street brawl, as he played around with the knight. First, he disarmed the English knight with a well timed slash to his wrist then he kicked away the broadsword on the ground as Glasdale tried to reach for it. Then, following up with a well timed knee to his face, Isley caused his enemy to arc backwards. He the quickly aimed a backhand on Glasdale's exposed back with astonishing reflex, making the English knight fall forward and, literally, bite the dust.

Isley then passed his sword to Jeanne and challenged Glasdale to take another shot at him. By that time, Glasdale has totally lost his mind and was charging at Isley blindly. Isley easily sidestepped the English and aimed a well timed kick at his shin, causing him to buckle in pain. The kick was aimed carefully with sufficient force to inflict pain despite the knight's armour, but was not strong enough to cause a fracture, making Glasdale kneel before Jeanne in pain.

"You have three days to consider about the Lord's proposition, in the mean time, I will keep your sword. We will be back in three days time and you will agree to a duel with Sir Aulon again, for your honor." Jeanne told the weeping knight coldly, before leaving with his sword.

"Demoness!" the beaten knight spat. And Isley, provoked, turned sharply towards him.

It had been centuries since she had heard that curse. Now, upon hearing that accusation laid upon Jeanne – one of the most dedicated claymores ever – brought forth a sudden outburst of rage from Isley, triggering his yoki levels to erupt violently. Such was the increase in yoki that it even caused many soldiers present to feel nauseous, making some of them puke over the parapet. Even Glasdale, a seasoned soldier, began to tremble violently. Jeanne quickly put her right hand on Isley's shoulder causing him to calm down, before turning over her shoulder to give one final advice:

"Know that the wrath of God is real noble knight."

_Rennes le Chateau, Southern France_

She felt it. She felt a hot, thick sense of rage flowing in the wind. She felt it sweeping down at her from the far north, 1500 miles away. And she knew whose force this belonged to. As she absorbed the monstrous yoki, Miria looked at her. She had probably felt something too, thought Tabitha. It has been centuries since she has literally felt Isley's wrath and ironically then, it was also from the North. The great distance between her and Isley had buffered the effects of the yoki on her, but this was not enough for it to go undetected by her. She quickly looked towards Miria and told her what she felt. The two of them immediately decided to make a trip up to Northern France, to determine the nature behind this sudden surge in yoki. Silently, they prayed from the deepest of their hearts that history will not repeat itself.

* * *

Jeanne is portrayed to be some who lacks tactical sense as she has no experience with war at all during her days as a hunter, the most she did command, were squads of warriors. I felt that the organization did not rank their warriors base on strategic competency but rather on their fighting capabilities. Eg. Miata and Ophelia. Isley however has proven himself to be a highly skillful commander, from the way he managed to break the 3 way stalemate with Riful and Luceila.

I've decided to introduce Miria and Tabitha next so the next few chapters will include some scenes on their journey across France, leave a review to tell be how you people find it and stay tuned for the next chapter: Battle of St Loup.


End file.
